The annual event of pigs, crop art and food-on-a-stick calls me once again. It was a remarkable day of endless walking, sights and sounds as only a fair delivers (particularly redolent as experienced from the Sky Ride overhead), and two highlights in particular (food to come in a moment).

Raptor Show: a little bit of environmental awareness, falconry and, yes, even patriotism. An hour at the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) building watching up close, owls, hawks, falcons and the grand finale: the American Bald Eagle (nice way to stir up the emotions and get the crowd to donate to the predator bird demonstration). Which I gladly did. It was wonderful.

Miracle 0f Birth Center: as it sounds. A building dedicated to the actual births of farm animals: from rabbits to pigs to cows, goats, and other ruminants. Pretty much every year, by the time my fair buddy Steve (see above: Paul Bunyan) arrive at the pavilion, we have missed the LIVE births, left to just watch the videotape version of the ‘miracle of birth.’ I thought there would be a repeat of that this year, when I spotted 30-minute old piglets (‘oh, you just missed it!). Until we saw the crowds gathering five deep around the cow pen.

We watched a calf born. Cow in labor (and eating while doing it, btw) – baby dropped to the hay. While little children and families and young couples and urban folks, too – all gathered around to watch this Miracle of Birth. It was — don’t use this word lightly — awesome.

After that, we wandered to take in the rest of the fair and check off some items from the “new foods” list.

So — drum roll please: here is what we ate on the opening day of the Minnesota State Fair (not necessarily in order – the carbs killed some brain cells along the way, methinks).

FOODS I ATE AT THE FAIR

Slow-Roasted Pork Mole Tamale

Ear of roasted corn

Bowl O’ Dough

Chicago mix of popcorn: kettle, cheese, caramel

Pronto Pup ®

Honey Vanilla Bean Swirl Ice Cream

Beer

Vanilla Milkshake

Land o’ Lakes Cheese sample

Brown Ale and Onion-Gouda Tipsy Pie

Walleye Cakes

Duck Bacon Wontons

My goodness, I must be slipping — is that really ALL we ate at the fair? There could be some updates to come, once the carbohydrate hangover passes.

You would have expected the Romans to spend their Buona Pasqua at home, eating chocolate and Easter bread, and roasting lamb for dinner. After attending morning mass at one of the 900+ churches in la bella città.

Well –

Certainly that is a bit of a cliche, but I did think I would find few establishments open – and rather empty streets. Not so. It was a stunning sunny day – in the 70’s – and thousands of people, Italians – not just tourists – were out and about. In the historic center anyway.

But I thought this scene on a small side street of the Monti neighborhood was rather touching. A family held their Easter dinner outside on a wooden table – here just a few members of their group were wrapping up their meal.

So, I set out for a lake adventure on this sunny Spring day in Italy – getting an “open ticket” on the ferry, allowing me to stop in one of six towns on Lake Como, including Bellagio.

I realize once I am on the boat that wherever I start – I would have about a two-hour wait until the next ferry departure because it was lunchtime. That’s okay – I am going to need something to eat anyway.

I make my first visit at Lenno – walk along the waterfront. See a few tourist places – and head up the hill to find the center (il centro) of the tiny little town. And a restaurant not for tourists – which, of course, I don’t regard myself as — but a place to eat for the townsfolk.

I stop at a post office and buy some stamps (francobolli) for my postcards (cartoline). I ask the dude behind the counter – in Italian (of course: hey, I’m no stinkin’ tourist!!!) (which is ridiculous because I am. But I digress).

Where can I find a restaurant, I inquire. Oh, we have hundreds of restaurants, tanti (many). 10 kilometri.

I know enough to know I am not walking 10 kilometers to find a non-tourist restaurant. Pizza would be fine. At this point. Tic toc – lunchtime is almost over. My ferry departure is closer. AND I needed a toilette!

I return to the restaurant I’d rejected. Order a nice salad and a glass of vino bianco and ask the waitress. Scusi. Dov’è il centro? Oh madame, she answers: here! This is il centro!!

It comes to the table – steam, redolent of garlic, warmly wafting from the plate.

A mosaic of buckwheat pasta, melted cheese and green vegetables. Where to start? With a bite of potato? Or some kind of perfectly cooked green vegetable: the leaf of a romanesco cauliflower, a slice of – I don’t know – perhaps fennel. Subtle little greens – maybe broccoli – maybe spring vegetables.

And that pasta! Humor me as I wax poetic over this pasto di pasta. A thick, not wide, noodle – with that hearty bite of buckwheat, delicately covered with sauce.

It may triumph over Cacio e Pepe.

Maybe. I haven’t spent any real time in Roma, yet.

My very first pizzocchere. Accent on the second syllable: pea-ZOCK-uhree.

Minnesota State Fair 2016

Every year, my trek to the Great Minnesota Get-Together is both the same. And, absolutely different than years past. But, always, consistently, fun and memorable.

I always go to Day One of the Fair in Saint Paul with my “fair husband” Steve. We are particularly compatible as a fair couple because we like the same things, yes, but are also open to the choices of the other person. Plus, we share the food.

Iron Range Meat & Potatoes

So without further ado (because I know you are dying to find out) here is what we ate at the Fair:

This little apple faces extinction in Bagnacavallo – the small Italian town not far from Bologna. It is called a Florina. It tastes like the essence of appleness: crisp when bitten, juicy but not slurpy, the perfect combination of sweet/tart. Like an apple, only better.

I met Florina while visiting the home of Anna Tazzari – the creator of Signora Maria. Her husband Massimo explained to me that you could not buy this apple in a store – you could only pick it off a tree or buy it at a farm stand.

Sad, this little Florina – I hope she makes it in the world of Honeycrisps.